Town of Shrewsbury – Spag`s/Building 19 PDA Analysis

Transcription

Town of Shrewsbury – Spag’s/Building 19 PDA Analysis
Purpose of Analysis
The Spag’s/Building 19 site on Route 9 in Shrewsbury was identified as a Priority Development Area in
the recently completed 495/MetroWest Development Compact project. Priority Development Areas
(PDAs) are areas within a town that have been identified as capable of supporting additional
development or as candidates for redevelopment. These are areas on which a town is focusing its
energy to promote thoughtful economic development that is closely tied to the community’s goals.
Following the completion of the 495/MetroWest Development Compact project and two subsequent
similar prioritization projects, CMRPC was presented with a project request as a next phase of work
from the Central Thirteen Prioritization Project, Blackstone Valley Prioritization Project, and the
495/MetroWest Development Compact. Utilizing planning funds from the District Local Technical
Assistance (DLTA) Program, the request was to move forward with next steps on the identified Priority
Development Areas (PDAs).
Using up to 25 hours of technical assistance, the objective of this project is to provide participating
communities with a packet of information for a priority development area that can be used to guide
them in identifying possible zoning changes, 43D application 1, grant applications (MassWorks 2),
promotion to developers, template for future analysis of additional PDAs, etc. CMRPC staff worked with
each participating community to ensure that the technical assistance provided was tailored to the
town’s specific needs.
From the PDAs identified in Shrewsbury, the Town selected the former Spag’s/Building 19 site for a
more comprehensive analysis.
1
2
http://www.mass.gov/hed/business/licensing/43d/
http://www.mass.gov/hed/economic/eohed/pro/infrastructure/massworks/
Shrewsbury PDA Analysis August 2013
1
The goal is to compile a package of information on this site that can be used as a source of information
and a reference for the Town to generate re-development interest. There are many development
opportunities on this site, as well as challenges, and the intent is to use available technical assistance
hours to parse through available information to provide not only some existing conditions data, but also
to provide some ideas as to potential future development of the property.
Figure 1. Spag’s/Building 19 PDA (Labeled "3")
2
Study Area
Former Spag’s
Olde Schoolhouse
building
Former Spag’s Sports
Shop building
Former Spag’s Garden
Shop building
Building 19
main building
CVS (Not in
study area)
Figure 2. Spag’s/Building 19 study area selected sites - Google Earth image
The study area is bounded by Harrington Avenue to the east, Olympia and Muzzy Avenues to the north,
Lakeview Avenue to the west, and Route 9 to the south and is comprised of 16 parcels (See Figure 3 for
specific parcels in the study area), totaling approximately 16 acres. The study area has approximately
700 feet of frontage on Route 9 between Lakeview Avenue and the property line between the Building
19 main building site and the abutting CVS at the corner of Route 9 and Harrington Avenue.
3
Figure 3. Parcels in the study area.
4
Table 1. Study Area Parcel Information
Parcel
Acres
32-056
32-061
32-045
32-095
32-027
32-076
32-075
32-085
32-074
32-066
32-058
32-098
32-071
32-086
32-083
32-102
0.35
0.55
1.26
2.72
2.11
0.21
0.73
0.72
0.43
0.24
1.36
2.45
2.31
0.05
0.15
0.27
State
Owner Address
City
Owner Name
THE PATRICIA A DOYLE
30 LAKE VIEW AVE
MA
SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST 30 LAKE VIEW AVE SHREWSBURY
1 CLIFF ST
SHREWSBURY
MA
PAUL E. BIANCHI
63 ELM ST
37 BAKER AVE
HINGHAM
MA
319 LINCOLN ST
SREV LLC
MA
193 BOSTON TPKE
HINGHAM
SREV LLC
319 LINCOLN ST
MA
HINGHAM
14 ELMO AVE
SREV LLC
319 LINCOLN ST
MA
4 VERANDA AVE
ROBERT F. FULGINITI
4 VERANDA AVE SHREWSBURY
MA
10 VERANDA AVE
JOSEPHINE WAGNER
60 BAKER AVE SHREWSBURY
MA
167 BOSTON TPKE
319 LINCOLN ST
HINGHAM
SREV LLC
25 BAKER AVE
319 LINCOLN ST
HINGHAM
MA
SREV LLC
7 CLIFF ST
319 LINCOLN ST
HINGHAM
MA
SREV LLC
24 LAKE VIEW AVE
HINGHAM
MA
SREV LLC
319 LINCOLN ST
35 HARRINGTON AVE
HINGHAM
MA
SREV LLC
319 LINCOLN ST
15 BAKER AVE
MA
SREV LLC
319 LINCOLN ST
HINGHAM
1 BAKER AVE
GARGANIGO ALBERT A
2 TANAGER DR SHREWSBURY
MA
5 BAKER AVE
GARGANIGO ALBERT A
2 TANAGER DR SHREWSBURY
MA
20 MUZZY AVE
SREV LLC
319 LINCOLN ST
HINGHAM
MA
Address
Zip
01545
01545
02043
02043
02043
01545
01545
02043
02043
02043
02043
02043
02043
01545
01545
02043
Zoning
The study area is located in one zoning district and one overlay district (See Figure 4).
Table 2. Zoning in the Study Area
ZONING
CODE
CB
LOD
ZONING
DISTRICT
MIN. LOT
AREA (Sq.
Ft.)
MIN. LOT
MIN.
FRONTAGE FRONT
(Feet)
YARD
(Feet)
MIN. SIDE
YARD
(Feet)
MIN. REAR
YARD
(Feet)
HEIGHT
(ft)/
STORIES
CommercialBusiness
Lakeway
Overlay District
40,000
150
40
15
25
50/4
40,000
150
20 (MAX)
None
20
35/3
60/5 (by
special
permit)
According to the Shrewsbury zoning bylaw, the Commercial-Business (CB) District is intended “to
provide goods and services for transients or tourists and non-consumer goods and services.” 3 Various
institutional services are allowed in the district, as well as a wide variety of business uses, such as retail
stores, business or professional offices, banks, restaurants, automobile sales and service, research
facilities, printing establishments, bowling alleys, and theatres.
3
Shrewsbury Zoning Bylaw, Section VI. A. G.
5
The Lakeway Overlay District (LOD) was created in 2004. Its purposes are to 4:
•
•
•
Encourage a mix of commercial, residential, institutional and civic uses in a physical
arrangement that is safe for vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic;
Provide viable alternatives to conventional commercial sprawl, thereby assisting the Town in
creating and maintaining a vibrant, walkable commercial area;
Promote shared access and appropriate links to adjoining properties, thereby lessening the need
for curb openings on Route 9.
The LOD is an overlay district that applies to a portion of the Commercial Business and Limited Business
District along Route 9 and provides development options that do not exist in the underlying zoning
districts. Specifically, the LOD allows Mixed-use Development, creating the opportunity for an
integration of commercial and multi-family uses in a single structure or in multiple structures on the
same lot. This includes a provision for live-and-work space, such as an artist’s residence and studio.
In order to encourage the type of Route 9 development envisioned by the town, the LOD prohibits
certain uses seen as incompatible with the stated purposes, such as: single family dwellings, hospitals,
gas stations, garage and repair shops, automobile salesrooms, and adult businesses.
Given the existing generous dimensional controls in the zoning bylaw and an expanded mix of allowed
uses, there are significant redevelopment opportunities in the study area.
4
Shrewsbury Zoning Bylaw, Section VII. M.
6
Study
Area
Figure 4. Lakeway Overlay District and the Study Area. (The number 9 refers to the underlying Commercial Business
Zoning District)
Site History
Spag's was, from 1934 to 2002, a discount department store and was considered an early pioneer of
discount retailing. Anthony "Spag" Borgatti (1916–1996) opened Shrewsbury Battery and Tire Service in
1934. In 1939 the store expanded and the name was changed to Spag's Hardware Supply.
When Spag died in 1996, his daughters took over until 2002, when they sold it to Building 19.The
location became Spag's 19, and in September 2004 Building 19 owner Jerry Ellis said the store was not
profitable in its current format. Spag's merchandise and operations were converted to Building 19's
format. October 3, 2004 was the last day of business for Spag's.
Spag's was originally one central building, later named "the warehouse" when the store opened the
Spag's Sports Shop—featuring sports, hunting, and fishing equipment—and the Spag's Olde School
House, which contained household tools and items such as pencils, nursing wear, and photography
accessories. The Olde School House was closed for storage after being sold to Building 19 but was
reopened for a short while in 2003, before being closed permanently. The Sports Shop closed in 2004
7
after the store officially became Building 19. The only remaining operational building, other than the
main building (which saw renovations in the mid 1990s), is the Garden Shop, which sits adjacent to the
main building.
The Board of Selectmen pursued a unique strategy for increasing the supply of affordable housing in
Shrewsbury. In 2007, they invited developers to submit letters of interest to create a Local Initiative
Project (LIP) 5 rental development like Avalon Shrewsbury. In exchange for receiving a preferred project
designation, the selected applicant would agree to work with the Town on a “friendly” Chapter 40B
application. Three developers filed letters of interest with the Town; one of the proposed projects was
located in the study area. The plan included a mixed-use development including a multi-family rental
community and commercial center to be located at the site. It covered approximately 9.7 acres and
encompassed 30 individual parcels of land owned by five different owners, according to the preliminary
plans (see Figures 5, 6, and 7). (Note: After extensive discussions, the Board of Selectmen chose one of
the other submitted projects. Unfortunately, the (Request for Interest) RFI process occurred on the eve
of the foreclosure crisis, and eventually the developer withdrew.)
Reviewing the proposal for the study area is useful in that we can learn from the mix of uses, the overall
project master plan, internal site circulation, and other elements. The overall mix of uses in the
proposal included approximately 120,000 SF of retail space, 40,000 SF of office space, and 430
residential units.
Figure 5. Aerial Plan from Response to Town of Shrewsbury Expression of Interest
6
5
http://www.mass.gov/hed/community/40b-plan/local-initiative-program-lip.html
Planned Production of Mixed Income Housing, Submitted by a Joint Venture between: I.J. Barkan, Inc., Kimco
Realty Corp, SREV LLC, June 13, 2007.
6
8
Figure 6. Mixed Use Site Plan
7
Figure 7. Mixed Use Elevation
7
8
Ibid.
9
In May, 2013 it was announced that Building 19 would begin closing its Shrewsbury store. According to
a recent article in the Worcester Business Journal 9, Bill Elovitz, President of Building 19, stated that most
of the property that was once Spag’s, which totals approximately 14 acres, is available for sale or lease.
There has been some interest in the property, but Elovitz would like to sell all of the property together
with the exception of some housing units. Of note in the article are some comments by Michael Jacobs,
Principal at Worcester broker Glickman Kovago & Co. According to the article, Mr. Jacobs represents
five national retailers and he has found that the biggest challenge for the property is that it has “limited
Route 9 frontage, with most of the land sprawled out behind it.”
Figure 8. Building 19 main building as seen from Route 9.
8
Ibid.
“Shrewsbury Looks for New Blood to Help Lift Route 9 Retail District”, Worcester Business Journal, June 10, 2013,
page 9.
9
10
Existing site use and characteristics
Figure 9. Existing conditions plan.
10
A significant portion of the site is impervious with either pavement or roof top; most of the site has
been used recently as parking for UMass Medical Center, which operated a shuttle connecting the site
to their main campus in Worcester. Given this recent use of the site, perhaps there is an opportunity to
partner with UMass Medical Center to redevelop a portion of the site.
10
Planned Production of Mixed Income Housing, Submitted by a Joint Venture between: I.J. Barkan, Inc., Kimco
Realty Corp, SREV LLC, June 13, 2007.
11
Figure 10. The parking area at the end of Bridge Road.
Figure 11. The former Spag’s Olde Schoolhouse building and parking lot.
12
Figure 12. Another example of the large paved parking areas on the site. This is the parking area looking west
between Lakeview and Baker Avenues.
Figure 13. View looking south down Baker Avenue toward Route 9.
13
Utilities
The development site currently receives water via connections from surrounding streets including Route
9 (Worcester Turnpike). A new water main extension was constructed in the Route 9 area in 2007 in
order to provide better water pressure and flow to the Town. These improvements will provide
adequate domestic and fire protection service to the project.
The current Town of Shrewsbury wastewater collection system in the project vicinity consists of gravity
sewers that ultimately discharge via pump stations and force mains to the Westborough Wastewater
Treatment Plant (WWTP) located in Westborough, Massachusetts. Recognizing that the Town relies
upon the Town of Westborough for wastewater treatment, and that Westborough has limited capacity,
Shrewsbury has instituted a moratorium on sewer connections for certain new residential development
(i.e., development that fronts on a roadway that does not contain sewer mains). This action was taken
in order to reserve the remaining sewer capacity for new or expanded commercial and industrial uses. 11
Route 9
Route 9 is a regional shopping and employment destination, the majority of which is zoned for largescale retail and office uses. Commercial development defines the character along the majority of the
highway, but medium-to-high-density residential development is also present in some locations. In the
study area, Route 9 is a divided four-lane highway with additional turning lanes at the Harrington
Avenue signalized intersection, and numerous curb cuts and access drives.
Traffic volumes recorded over the last ten years range from 29,000 to 55,500 vehicles per day along the
Route 9 corridor. In Shrewsbury, the volumes reported are approximately 35,000 – 38,000 ADT (average
daily traffic). 12 As a well established commercial corridor, this is a very visible and well located
development site.
As we all know, traffic congestion is a byproduct of such a well-traveled route. Promoting and
encouraging connections between parking lots will also keep some vehicles off Route 9 and create a
safer environment by minimizing the number of curb cuts and access points. This can also help
encourage walking and bicycling as a means of travel in the Lakeway District which serves two purposes:
1) furthers the goal of a walkable commercial area; and 2) reduces the number of cars on Route 9.
Finally, access to public transit provides an alternative to people coming to work and/or shop as well as
those who might live there if a residential component is part of the development. The Worcester
Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) Route 15 bus provides hourly service between the WRTA hub at
Union Station in Downtown Worcester and Shrewsbury Center and runs down Route 9 past the site.
UMass Medical Center is also part of Route 15, providing another alternative to a single-occupancy
vehicle, and an amenity to offer the businesses and residents of a potential new development.
11
495/MetroWest Development Compact Plan, March 2012.
Route 9 East (Shrewsbury-Westborough) Corridor Profile, CMRPC in conjunction with the CMMPO, October 31,
2006 and MassDOT 2011 traffic counts.
12
14
Development Constraints and Challenges
Kings Brook, a culverted brook and a town drainage easement, was constructed in 1995 and runs
southerly and westerly through the site (see Figure 14). Similarly, a permanent sewer easement
established in 1993, runs through the site as well. Both the drainage and sewer easements preclude
construction of permanent structures and planting of trees, but non-permanent construction, such as
parking lots, would be permitted. To the extent possible, it may be necessary to relocate the culvert and
easement to accommodate a development proposal.
This site also presents numerous opportunities to improve stormwater management through the use of
Low Impact Development techniques (LID). This site is nearly completely impervious; improvements can
be made to mitigate quantity and quality of stormwater runoff, which will, in turn, prevent problems
such as flooding and the collection and concentration of pollutants. Water conservation techniques can
also reduce pressure on the wastewater treatment plant. By incorporating best management practices
such as grassy swales, rain gardens/bioretention basins, porous pavement, and vegetated filter strips, a
redevelopment project will be both attractive and sustainable. 13
13
Green Infrastructure Toolkit, 495 MetroWest Partnership.
http://www.495partnership.org/assets/documents/GITFinal%202008.pdf
15
Figure 14. Drainage and sewer easements.
14
14
Sewer Easement
Drainage Easement
Town of Shrewsbury GIS Department
16
Recommendations and Next Steps
While the site is identified on the Town’s list of “Vacant and Developable Commercial & Industrial
Land” 15, a more prominent presence on the website will help highlight the site and the Town’s focus on
its redevelopment. Although the site is privately owned, the owner has publicly expressed interest in
redeveloping it, so having the town actively market the site, particularly given its prominent location on
Route 9, would not be in conflict. In fact, the property owner has a significant ally in the redevelopment
process if the Town is actively working on the project.
Internal circulation is the key to
organizing the development such
that multiple access points to
Route 9 are avoided. This also
creates the opportunity for a
central gateway or formal
entrance into the development.
Focus residential and other
uses not dependent upon
direct access and visibility to
Route 9 to the rear of the
development site. Connect
with existing surrounding
neighbourhoods.
Capitalize on frontage and
visibility on Route 9: focus
commercial/retail opportunities
here. Incorporate abutting uses
and properties to combine
parking and access (e.g. CVS).
Figure 15. Key themes.
In many ways, this site can be considered a blend of two sites: one that directly abuts the Route 9
commercial corridor and is almost entirely built upon; and one that directly abuts residential
15
http://www.shrewsbury-ma.gov/egov/docs/1363874633_422821.pdf
17
neighbourhoods and contains existing homes and yards (Figure 15). A mixed commercial/office
plaza that capitalizes on direct access and visibility to Route 9, but that is still connected to a less
intensive mixed residential area to the rear of the site, could be a reasonable combination of
compatible uses that takes advantage of existing site characteristics and surrounding development.
A clear internal circulation system benefits all properties within the development, and including
abutting uses into that system provides alternatives to Route 9, including pedestrian access, to all
commercial and residential uses. The Town ought to consider facilitating a meeting that includes
the site owner, UMass Medical Center, and surrounding property owners to address these
opportunities. A focused meeting that includes all of these interested parties could yield a lot of
agreement on general development goals which could encourage even more interest in the site.
The site becomes even more competitive with a conceptual “master plan” that includes surrounding
properties as well. Now that Building 19 has announced its closure, partnering with the property
owner to create a coordinated marketing effort to generate interest should be explored.
As mentioned above, given UMass Medical Center’s recent use of a significant portion of the site,
their interest in the property could very well move beyond parking for students and staff. Their
participation in an initial conversation about their expansion plans and future use of this site should
be considered.
The redevelopment of this site represents tremendous opportunities both to the Town and to the
surrounding businesses and residents. By focusing potential projects on the goals identified in the
Lakeway Overlay District, this underutilized site can become a key site in the corridor. Thoughtfully
master planning the site in a way that includes surrounding parcels will provide real benefits to
everyone, because convenient access from Route 9 and then internally within the site creates a
much more comfortable environment for customers and residents, vehicles, pedestrians, and
cyclists. As discussed above, the presence of public transit on the WRTA’s Route 15 provides
another benefit to developing the site. With connections to both UMass Medical Center and
Downtown Worcester from this site, potential commercial and residential development have a real
alternative to driving along Route 9. Finally, capitalizing on the existing flexible zoning language and
the stated interest in seeing this property developed gives potential developers a comfort level
knowing that the permitting process will be prompt and predictable.
18

Town of Shrewsbury – Spag`s/Building 19 PDA Analysis

Transcription

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